Editing Twin Peaks (section)

==Response==
Before the one-and-a-half-hour pilot premiered on TV, a screening was held at the Museum of Broadcasting in Hollywood.<ref name="roush">{{cite journal |last=Roush |first=Matt |title=High Hopes for ''Twin Peaks'' |journal=[[USA Today]] |date=April 6, 1990}}</ref> Media analyst and advertising executive Paul Schulman said: "I don't think it has a chance of succeeding. It is not commercial, it is radically different from what we as viewers are accustomed to seeing, there's no one in the show to root for."<ref name="roush" /> The show's Thursday night time slot had not been a good one for soap operas, as both ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'' and its short-lived spin-off ''[[The Colbys]]'' did poorly.<ref name="roush" /> ''Twin Peaks'' was also up against the hugely successful sitcom ''[[Cheers]]''.

Initially, the show received a positive response from TV critics. [[Tom Shales]], in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', wrote: "''Twin Peaks'' disorients you in ways that small-screen productions seldom attempt. It's a pleasurable sensation, the floor dropping out and leaving one dangling."<ref name="shale">{{cite news |last=Shale |first=Tom |title=Troubling, Transcendent ''Twin Peaks'' |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 8, 1990}}</ref> In ''[[The New York Times]]'', John J.&nbsp;O'Connor wrote: "''Twin Peaks'' is not a send-up of the form. Mr.&nbsp;Lynch clearly savors the standard ingredients&nbsp;... but then the director adds his own peculiar touches, small passing details that suddenly, and often hilariously, thrust the commonplace out of kilter."<ref name="oconnor">{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=John J. |title=A Skewed Vision of a Small Town in ''Twin Peaks'' |journal=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 6, 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/06/arts/tv-weekend-a-skewed-vision-of-a-small-town-in-twin-peaks.html?scp=32&sq=%22Twin+Peaks%22&st=nyt |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515112716/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/06/arts/tv-weekend-a-skewed-vision-of-a-small-town-in-twin-peaks.html?scp=32&sq=%22Twin+Peaks%22&st=nyt |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the show an "A+" rating, and Ken Tucker wrote: "Plot is irrelevant; moments are everything. Lynch and Frost have mastered a way to make a weekly series endlessly interesting."<ref name="tucker">{{cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |title=''Twin Peaks'' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 26, 1990 |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20196441,00.html |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114000132/https://ew.com/article/1990/10/26/twin-peaks/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Richard Zoglin]] in ''Time'' magazine said that it "may be the most hauntingly original work ever done for American TV".<ref name="worrell">{{cite magazine |title=Like Nothing On Earth |magazine=Time |date=April 9, 1990 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,154191,00.html |access-date=May 7, 2017 |archive-date=June 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621043821/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,154191,00.html |url-status=dead|author-last1=Zoglin|author-first1=Richard}}</ref>

The two-hour pilot was the highest-rated movie for the 1989–90 season with a 22 rating and was viewed by 33% of the audience.<ref name="bickelhaupt">{{cite journal |last=Bickelhaupt |first=Susan |title=''Twin Peaks'' vs. ''Cheers'' |journal=[[Boston Globe]] |date=April 12, 1990}}</ref> In its first broadcast as a regular one-hour drama series, ''Twin Peaks'' scored ABC's highest ratings in four years in its 9:00&nbsp;pm Thursday time slot.<ref name="carter">{{Cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |title=''Twin Peaks'' May Provide a Ratings Edge for ABC |journal=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 16, 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/16/business/the-media-business-twin-peaks-may-provide-a-ratings-edge-for-abc.html?scp=36&sq=%22Twin+Peaks%22&st=nyt |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515111535/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/16/business/the-media-business-twin-peaks-may-provide-a-ratings-edge-for-abc.html?scp=36&sq=%22Twin+Peaks%22&st=nyt |url-status=live}}</ref> The show also reduced NBC's ''Cheers''{{'}}s ratings. ''Twin Peaks'' had a 16.2 rating, with each point equaling 921,000 homes with TVs.<ref name="carter" /> The episode added new viewers because of what ABC's senior vice-president of research, Alan Wurtzel, called "the water cooler syndrome", in which people talk about the series the next day at work.<ref name="carter" />

The show's third episode lost 14% of the audience that had tuned in a week before.<ref name="carter2">{{Cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |title=''Twin Peaks'' Clouded By Decline in Viewers |journal=The New York Times |date=April 28, 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/28/business/twin-peaks-clouded-by-decline-in-viewers.html?scp=43&sq=%22Twin+Peaks%22&st=nyt |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515105938/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/28/business/twin-peaks-clouded-by-decline-in-viewers.html?scp=43&sq=%22Twin+Peaks%22&st=nyt |url-status=live}}</ref> That audience had dropped 30% from the show's first appearance on Thursday night. This was a result of competing against ''Cheers'', which appealed to the same demographic that watched ''Twin Peaks''. A production executive from the show spoke of being frustrated with the network's scheduling of the show. "The show is being banged around on Thursday night. If ABC had put it on Wednesday night it could have built on its initial success. ABC has put the show at risk."<ref name="carter2" />

In response, the network aired the first-season finale on a Wednesday night at 10:00&nbsp;pm instead of its usual 9:00&nbsp;pm Thursday slot.<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |title=''Twin Peaks'' Finale To Be on a New Night |journal=The New York Times |date=May 2, 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/02/arts/twin-peaks-finale-to-be-on-a-new-night.html? |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515094611/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/02/arts/twin-peaks-finale-to-be-on-a-new-night.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The show achieved its best ratings since its third week on the air with a 12.6 and a 22 share of the audience.<ref name="carter4">{{Cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |title=ABC Last in "Sweep" Rating Despite ''Twin Peaks'' Finale |journal=The New York Times |date=May 25, 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/25/arts/abc-last-in-sweep-rating-despite-twin-peaks-finale.html? |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515084451/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/25/arts/abc-last-in-sweep-rating-despite-twin-peaks-finale.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On May 22, 1990, it was announced that ''Twin Peaks'' would be renewed for a second season.<ref name="carter3">{{Cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |title=''Twin Peaks'' Is Renewed on ABC |journal=The New York Times |date=May 22, 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/arts/twin-peaks-is-renewed-on-abc.html? |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515100631/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/arts/twin-peaks-is-renewed-on-abc.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the first and second season, the search for Laura Palmer's killer served as the engine for the plot and captured the public's imagination, although the creators admitted that this was largely a [[MacGuffin]]. Each episode was really about the interactions between the townsfolk.<ref name="fuller" /> The unique and often bizarre personalities of each citizen formed a web of minutiae that ran contrary to the town's quaint appearance. Adding to the surreal atmosphere was the recurrence of Dale Cooper's dreams, in which the FBI agent is given clues to Laura's murder in a supernatural realm that may or may not be of his imagination. The first season contained only eight episodes, including the two-hour pilot episode. It was considered technically and artistically revolutionary for television at the time and geared toward reaching the standards of film.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lyons |first1=Siobhan |title=Between Two Worlds: Twin Peaks and the Film/Television Divide |journal=Open Library of Humanities |date=April 5, 2017 |volume=3 |issue=1 |doi=10.16995/olh.89 |issn=2056-6700 |doi-access=free|hdl=10453/125726 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Critics have noted that ''Twin Peaks'' began the trend of accomplished [[cinematography]] now commonplace in today's television dramas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/tv/return-to-twin-peaks-a-tv-landmark-20-years-later/ |title='Twin Peaks' revisited: 'Maybe we shouldn't have solved the mystery' |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Michael |last=Giltz |date=August 23, 2010 |access-date=February 8, 2013 |archive-date=June 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615124426/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/tv/return-to-twin-peaks-a-tv-landmark-20-years-later/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Lynch and Frost maintained tight control over the first season and served as [[showrunner]]s, handpicking all of the directors, including some whom Lynch had known from his days at the [[American Film Institute]] (e.g., [[Caleb Deschanel]] and [[Tim Hunter (director)|Tim Hunter]]) and some referred to him by those he knew personally. Lynch and Frost's control lessened in the second season as the two became less involved with the series, corresponding with what is generally regarded as a decrease in the show's quality once the identity of Laura Palmer's murderer was revealed. 

While Frost and Lynch technically remained showrunners after "[[Episode 14 (Twin Peaks)|Episode 14]]", the episode in which the killer's identity was revealed, Lynch had little creative control over the direction of the series from that point forward other than [[Episode 29 (Twin Peaks)|the season finale]]. Frost became less involved after "[[Episode 16 (Twin Peaks)|Episode 16]]" and became more involved again with "Episode 26" onwards. After "Episode 14", series producers [[Harley Peyton]] and [[Robert Engels]] served as additional showrunners along with Frost and Lynch.

The aforementioned "water cooler effect" put pressure on the show's creators to solve the mystery. Although they claimed to have known from the series' inception the identity of Laura's murderer,<ref name="secrets from another place"/> Lynch never wanted to solve the murder, while Frost felt that they had an obligation to the audience to solve it. This created tension between the two men.<ref name="patterson" />

Its ambitious style, paranormal undertones, and engaging murder mystery made ''Twin Peaks'' an unexpected hit. Its characters, particularly MacLachlan's Dale Cooper, were unorthodox for a supposed crime drama, as was Cooper's method of interpreting his dreams to solve the crime. During its first season, the show's popularity reached its zenith, and elements of the program seeped into mainstream popular culture, prompting parodies, including one in the [[Saturday Night Live (season 16)|16th-season]] premiere of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', hosted by MacLachlan.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Leerhsen |first=Charles |title=The Cult of 'Twin Peaks' |journal=[[Newsweek]] |date=May 7, 1990 |url=http://www.lynchnet.com/tp/articles/newsweekmay7.html |access-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-date=December 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101220080231/http://lynchnet.com/tp/articles/newsweekmay7.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical acclaim===
{{See also|List of awards and nominations received by Twin Peaks}}
[[File:David Lynch at the 1990 Emmy Awards.jpg|thumb|right|upright|David Lynch at the [[42nd Primetime Emmy Awards]] on September 16, 1990, where ''Twin Peaks'' was nominated for fourteen awards. He was nominated for directing and co-writing the [[Pilot (Twin Peaks)|pilot episode]].]]

{{Television critical response
| rotten_tomatoes1 = 91% (118 reviews)
| metacritic1      = 96 (17 reviews)

| rotten_tomatoes2 = 65% (175 reviews)
| metacritic2      = 95 (2 reviews)

| rotten_tomatoes3 = 94% (460 reviews)
| metacritic3      = 83 (45 reviews)
}}
For its first season, ''Twin Peaks'' received fourteen nominations at the [[42nd Primetime Emmy Awards]], for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]], [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]] (Kyle MacLachlan), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series]] (Piper Laurie), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series]] ([[Sherilyn Fenn]]), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series]] (David Lynch), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series]] (David Lynch and Mark Frost), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Harley Peyton), 
[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series|Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series]] ([[Patricia Norris]] and Leslie Morales), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music|Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music]] (Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)|Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)]] (Angelo Badalamenti), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics|Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics]] (Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch), and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour)|Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series]].<ref name="emmys"/>

Out of its fourteen nominations, it won for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series|Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama or Comedy Series]] (Patricia Norris) and Outstanding Editing for a Series – [[Single-camera setup|Single Camera]] Production.<ref name="emmys">{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/twin-peaks |title=Twin Peaks |website=Emmys.com |access-date=October 9, 2014 |archive-date=October 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015105555/http://www.emmys.com/shows/twin-peaks |url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the first season received a 91 percent approval rating with an average score of 8.95 out of 10 based on 118 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "''Twin Peaks'' plays with TV conventions to deliver a beguiling – and unsettling – blend of seemingly disparate genres, adding up to an offbeat drama with a distinctly unique appeal."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/twin_peaks/s01 |title=Twin Peaks: Season 1 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006160051/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/twin_peaks/s01 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Metacritic]] scored the season 96 out of 100 based on 17 reviews.<ref name="metacritic1">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/twin-peaks/season-1 |title=Twin Peaks: Season 1 |website=Metacritic |access-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006160434/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/twin-peaks/season-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

For its second season, it received four nominations at the [[43rd Primetime Emmy Awards]], for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kyle MacLachlan), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Piper Laurie), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour)|Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series]].<ref name="emmys"/> On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season received a 65 percent approval rating with an average score of 7.65 out of 10 based on 175 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "''Twin Peaks'' answers its central question with diminishing returns while struggling to establish worthy new mysteries, but there are enough mesmeric flourishes to keep devotees dreaming of what lies in the Red Room."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/twin_peaks/s02 |title=Twin Peaks: Season 2 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-date=October 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007122353/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/twin_peaks/s02 |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the [[48th Golden Globe Awards]], it won for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama|Best Television Series – Drama]], Kyle MacLachlan won for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama|Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Drama]], Piper Laurie won for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV]]; while Sherilyn Fenn was nominated in the same category as Laurie.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://goldenglobes.com/tv-show/twin-peaks/ |title=Twin Peaks |website=Golden Globes |access-date=January 15, 2025 |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117124052/https://goldenglobes.com/tv-show/twin-peaks/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The pilot episode was ranked 25th on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s 1997 [[100 Greatest Episodes of All Time]].<ref>{{cite journal |year=1997 |title=Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time |journal=[[TV Guide]] |issue=June 28 – July 4}}</ref> It placed 49th on ''Entertainment Weekly''{{'s}} "New TV Classics" list.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The New Classics: TV|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=February 21, 2012|date=June 18, 2007|archive-date=October 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020093840/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20207339%2C00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004 and 2007, ''Twin Peaks'' was ranked 20th and 24th on ''TV Guide''{{'}}s Top Cult Shows Ever,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/twin-peaks-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-tvs-strangest-series-30645855.html|title=Twin Peaks: 10 things you didn't know about TV's strangest series|work=Irish Independent|first=Darragh|last=McManus|date=July 10, 2014|access-date=October 9, 2014|archive-date=October 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008043846/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/twin-peaks-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-tvs-strangest-series-30645855.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx|title=TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever|work=TV Guide|date=June 29, 2007|access-date=July 11, 2011|archive-date=August 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812080754/http://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2002, it was ranked 45th of the "[[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|Top 50 Television Programs of All Time]]" by the same guide.<ref name="tvguide">{{cite news |last=Cosgrove-Mather |first=Bootie |title=''TV Guide'' Names Top 50 Shows |work=[[CBS News]] |date=April 26, 2002 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/ |access-date=October 30, 2007 |archive-date=September 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904061715/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/26/entertainment/main507388.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, UK broadcaster [[Channel 4]] ranked ''Twin Peaks'' 9th on their list of the "50 Greatest TV Dramas".<ref name="Matthewman">{{cite web |last=Matthewman |first=Scott |date=March 6, 2007 |url=http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/tvtoday/2007/03/the-50-greatest-tv-dramas/ |title=The 50 greatest TV dramas |work=The Stage |access-date=October 30, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611060852/http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/tvtoday/2007/03/the-50-greatest-tv-dramas/ |archive-date=June 11, 2008}}</ref> In 2007, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' included the show on their list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time".<ref name="Time 100">{{cite magazine |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/twin-peaks-2/ |title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME'' |first=James |last=Poniewozik |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=March 4, 2010 |date=September 6, 2007 |archive-date=October 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022130316/http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/twin-peaks-2/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' listed ''Twin Peaks'' as the 24th best TV show in their list of "The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/default.asp?tv=24 |title=Empire Features |work=Empire |access-date=November 1, 2010 |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105061606/http://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/default.asp?tv=24 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2012, ''Entertainment Weekly'' listed the show at no.&nbsp;12 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years", saying: "The show itself was only fitfully brilliant and ultimately unfulfilling, but the cult lives, fueled by nostalgia for the extraordinary pop phenomenon it inspired, for its significance to the medium (behold the big bang of auteur TV!), and for a sensuous strangeness that possesses you and never lets you go."<ref name="25 best"/> The series has been nominated for the [[TCA Heritage Award]] six consecutive years since 2010, winning the award in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/empire-and-transparent-top-2015-tca-award-nominations-31st-annual-awards-twin-peaks-up-for-heritage-award-20150604 |title='Empire' and 'Transparent' Top 2015 TCA Award Nominations, 'Twin Peaks' Up for Heritage Award |first=Ben |last=Travers |work=Indiewire |date=June 4, 2015 |access-date=June 5, 2015 |archive-date=June 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608033946/http://www.indiewire.com/article/empire-and-transparent-top-2015-tca-award-nominations-31st-annual-awards-twin-peaks-up-for-heritage-award-20150604 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Longeretta |first=Emily |date=2024-07-13 |title='Shogun' and 'Hacks' Dominate TCA Awards, Andre Braugher and 'Twin Peaks' Receive Top Honors: Full Winners List |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/tca-awards-winners-2024-full-list-1236066776/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=July 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713023427/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/tca-awards-winners-2024-full-list-1236066776/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was ranked 20th on ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''{{'}}s list of Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499 |title=Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows |date=September 16, 2015 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=September 29, 2016 |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919022923/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Declining ratings===
[[File:HeatherGrahamByDimitriSarantis2011.jpg|thumb|upright|As the series' ratings started to decline, the producers added [[Heather Graham]] (seen here in 2011) to the cast.]]

With the resolution of ''Twin Peaks''{{'}} main drawing point (Laura Palmer's murder) in the middle of the second season, and with subsequent story lines becoming more obscure and drawn out, public interest began to wane. This discontent, coupled with ABC changing its timeslot on a number of occasions, led to a huge drop in the show's [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] after being one of the most watched television programs in the United States in 1990. Due to the [[Gulf War]], ''Twin Peaks'' was moved from its usual time slot "for six weeks out of eight" in early 1991, according to Frost, preventing the show from maintaining audience interest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWQ76qthtwE |title=TMRS: Mark Frost (Twin Peaks) Interview on WFDU (part 1 of 3) |publisher=YouTube |date=January 21, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2013 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114000153/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWQ76qthtwE |url-status=live}}</ref> A week after the season's 15th episode placed 85th in the ratings out of 89 shows, ABC put ''Twin Peaks'' on indefinite [[hiatus (television)|hiatus]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/16/arts/twin-peaks-canceled-as-a-saturday-regular.html |title=''Twin Peaks'' Canceled As a Saturday Regular |work=The New York Times |date=February 16, 1991 |access-date=January 30, 2011 |archive-date=December 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209030810/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/16/arts/twin-peaks-canceled-as-a-saturday-regular.html |url-status=live}}</ref> a move that usually leads to cancellation.<ref name="lavery">{{cite book |title=Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to ''Twin Peaks'' |editor-first=David |editor-last=Lavery |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-8143-2506-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m6mjuWXrqb8C |access-date=January 30, 2011 |archive-date=May 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032847/http://books.google.com/books?id=m6mjuWXrqb8C |url-status=live}}</ref>

An organized letter-writing campaign, dubbed COOP (Citizens Opposed to the Offing of ''Peaks''), attempted to save the show from cancellation.<ref name="lynchnet">{{cite magazine |last=Harris |first=Mark |title=Saturday Night Dead |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=March 8, 1991 |url=http://www.lynchnet.com/tp/articles/ewmar1991.html |access-date=April 13, 2008 |archive-date=March 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310041447/http://www.lynchnet.com/tp/articles/ewmar1991.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The campaign was partly successful, as the season returned to airing on Thursday nights for four weeks from late March. The series then went on another hiatus, before the final two episodes of the season aired back-to-back on June&nbsp;10.

According to Frost, the main storyline after the resolution of Laura Palmer's murder was planned to be the second strongest element from the first season that audiences responded to: the relationship between Agent Cooper and Audrey Horne. Frost explained that Lara Flynn Boyle, who was romantically involved with Kyle MacLachlan at the time, had effectively vetoed the Audrey–Cooper relationship, forcing the writers to come up with alternative storylines to fill the gap.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lSMjfK6hNU |title=TMRS: Mark Frost (Twin Peaks) Interview on WFDU (part 2 of 3) |publisher=YouTube |date=January 21, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724210730/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lSMjfK6hNU |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCz1U1VGK8o |title=TMRS: Mark Frost (Twin Peaks) Interview on WFDU (part 3 of 3) |publisher=YouTube |date=January 21, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2013 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114000157/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCz1U1VGK8o |url-status=live}}</ref> Sherilyn Fenn corroborated this claim in a 2014 interview, stating: "[Boyle] was mad that my character was getting more attention, so then Kyle started saying that his character shouldn't be with my character because it doesn't look good, 'cause I'm too young... I was not happy about it. It was stupid."<ref name="Sherilyn Fenn AV Club Interview">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/sherilyn-fenn-talks-david-lynch-and-how-twin-peaks-200898 |title=Sherilyn Fenn talks David Lynch and how Twin Peaks should have ended |work=The A.V. Club |first=Will |last=Harris |date=January 22, 2014 |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122074412/http://www.avclub.com/article/sherilyn-fenn-talks-david-lynch-and-how-twin-peaks-200898 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

This meant the artificial extension of secondary storylines, such as James Hurley and Evelyn Marsh, to fill in the space. After ratings began to decline, Agent Cooper was given a new love interest, Annie Blackburn ([[Heather Graham]]), to replace the writers' intended romance between him and Audrey Horne.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/twin-peaks-donna-hayward-lara-flynn-boyle/ |title='Twin Peaks': Where's Donna? Lara Flynn Boyle's Odd History With the Show |website=The Wrap |first=Carli |last=Velocci |date=May 21, 2017 |access-date=June 23, 2020 |archive-date=June 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627002858/https://www.thewrap.com/twin-peaks-donna-hayward-lara-flynn-boyle/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/01/twin-peaks-star-sherilyn-fenn-talks-the-shows-ending-her-character-audreys-ties-to-mulholland-drive-89880/ |title='Twin Peaks' Star Sherilyn Fenn Talks The Show's Ending & Her Character Audrey's Ties To 'Mulholland Drive' |website=IndieWire |first=Charlie |last=Schmidlin |date=January 23, 2014 |access-date=June 23, 2020 |archive-date=June 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627220415/https://www.indiewire.com/2014/01/twin-peaks-star-sherilyn-fenn-talks-the-shows-ending-her-character-audreys-ties-to-mulholland-drive-89880/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite ending on a deliberate audience-baiting cliffhanger, the series finale did not sufficiently boost interest, and the show was not renewed for a [[Twin Peaks season 3|third season]], leaving the cliffhanger unresolved.

Lynch expressed his regret at having resolved the Laura Palmer murder, saying that he and Frost had never intended for the series to answer the question until the very end of the series, after many seasons, and that doing so "killed [[The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs|the goose that laid the golden egg]]." Lynch blamed network pressure for the decision to resolve the Palmer storyline prematurely.<ref name="jensen">{{cite magazine |last=Jensen |first=Jeff |title=David Lynch: Climbing the ''Peaks'' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=October 26, 2007 |url=https://ew.com/article/2007/10/26/david-lynch-talks-twin-peaks/ |access-date=March 10, 2010 |archive-date=November 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130082324/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20154190,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Frost agreed, noting that people at the network had wanted the killer to be revealed by the end of season one.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCz1U1VGK8o |title=Mark Frost Interview on WFDU |work=Part 3 |date=January 21, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724151544/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCz1U1VGK8o |url-status=live}}</ref> Their statements were corroborated by former ABC executive [[Bob Iger]] in his 2019 memoir, ''[[The Ride of a Lifetime]]'', where he wrote that after ABC pushed for the killer to be revealed prematurely, there was an immediate decrease in the show's quality.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryant |first=Aidan |date=July 16, 2023 |title=When Bob Iger Ruined Season 2 of 'Twin Peaks' |url=https://collider.com/twin-peaks-season-2-bad-bob-iger/ |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=Collider |language=en |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430022453/https://collider.com/twin-peaks-season-2-bad-bob-iger/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/dvds/Twin-Peaks-The-Definitive-Gold-Box-Edition-2700.html |title=Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Box Edition DVD Review |last=Rich |first=Katey |work=Cinema Blend |access-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-date=January 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108012841/http://cinemablend.com/dvds/Twin-Peaks-The-Definitive-Gold-Box-Edition-2700.html |url-status=dead|date=November 9, 2007}}</ref>

Looking back, Frost has admitted that he wished he and Lynch had "worked out a smoother transition" between storylines and that the Laura Palmer story was a "tough act to follow".<ref name="Ferris" /> Regarding the second season, Frost felt that "perhaps the storytelling wasn't quite as taut or as fraught with emotion."<ref name="Ferris" />

===Prequel film===
{{Main|Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me|Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces}}
The 1992 film ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'', serves as a [[prequel]] to the television series. It tells of the investigation into the murder of [[Teresa Banks]], and the last seven days in the life of Laura Palmer. David Lynch and most of the television cast returned for the film, with the notable exceptions of Lara Flynn Boyle, who declined to return as Donna Hayward and was replaced by [[Moira Kelly]], and Sherilyn Fenn due to scheduling conflicts. Kyle MacLachlan returned reluctantly as he wanted to avoid typecasting at the time. As a result, his presence in the film is smaller than originally planned. Lynch shot about five hours of footage that was cut down to two hours and fourteen minutes. The cut footage, which included scenes with characters from the show's original run who were not in the film, was arranged into a 2014 compilation film, ''Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces''.<ref name="blu-ray">{{cite magazine |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/05/15/twin-peaks-blu-ray-box-set/ |title='Twin Peaks': Watch 'Fire Walk With Me' lost scenes before entire series hits Blu-ray – EXCLUSIVE |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 15, 2014 |archive-date=May 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140516015919/http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/05/15/twin-peaks-blu-ray-box-set/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 15, 2014}}</ref>

''Fire Walk with Me'' polarized critics upon its release, especially in comparison to the widespread acclaim of the series. The film was nominated for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[1992 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philipcoppens.com/twinpeaks.html|title=''Twin Peaks''|website=philipcoppens.com|author-link=Philip Coppens (author)|first=Philip|last=Coppens|access-date=May 9, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907224831/http://www.philipcoppens.com/twinpeaks.html|archive-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twin-peaks-fire-walk-with-me/ |title=Twin Peaks – Fire Walk with Me (1992) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-date=April 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426191740/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twin-peaks-fire-walk-with-me/ |url-status=live}}</ref> It grossed US$1.8&nbsp;million in 691 theaters on its opening weekend, and went on to gross a total of $4.2&nbsp;million in North America.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' |work=Box Office Mojo |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=twinpeaksfirewalkwithme.htm |access-date=April 3, 2007 |archive-date=March 10, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310173424/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=twinpeaksfirewalkwithme.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The film has developed a [[cult following]] over time and been positively reevaluated in the 21st century,<ref name="Rotten Tomatoes 2">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twin-peaks-fire-walk-with-me/ |title=Twin Peaks – Fire Walk with Me (1992) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-date=April 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426191740/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twin-peaks-fire-walk-with-me/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Kermode, Mark">{{cite web |last=Kermode |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Kermode |date=February 8, 2007 |title=David Lynch |work=[[The Guardian|guardian.co.uk]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/feb/08/davidlynch |access-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theyshootpictures.com/lynchdavid.php |title=David Lynch's Acclaimed Films |publisher=They Shoot Pictures, Don't They |access-date=November 6, 2016 |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115104548/http://www.theyshootpictures.com/lynchdavid.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> and it is now widely regarded as one of Lynch's major works and one of the greatest films of the 1990s.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/11153925/Fire-Walk-With-Me-the-film-that-almost-killed-Twin-Peaks.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/11153925/Fire-Walk-With-Me-the-film-that-almost-killed-Twin-Peaks.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Fire Walk With Me: the film that almost killed Twin Peaks |last=Collin |first=Robbie |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=October 13, 2014 |access-date=November 6, 2016}}{{cbignore}} "''Fire Walk With Me'' was ''Twin Peaks''{{'}} missing head, and perhaps the cinemagoers of 1992 weren't quite prepared to find it in the fridge, beside the fruit juice. But time has passed, and its brilliance is gradually coming into focus, just as Lynch hoped it would."</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/film/twin-peaks-fire-walk-with-me-is-david-lynchs-masterpiece-6438367 |title=Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Is David Lynch's Masterpiece |last=Marsh |first=Calum |newspaper=The Village Voice |date=May 17, 2013 |access-date=December 2, 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The release of the third season in 2017, which made many references to the film, led to additional renewed critical and scholarly interest.